Meat

Q: I heard that carbon monoxide is used in the packaging of ground beef. Isn't this the same gas that's in your car exhaust and the same gas that can kill you in your sleep if your furnace malfunctions? A: Yes, this is indeed the same gas. Carbon monoxide -- chemical symbol CO -- is a molecule consisting of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom. This gas is colorless, odorless, tasteless, flammable and poisonous. According to its material safety data sheet, inhaling carbon monoxide may cause damage to the blood, lungs, cardiovascular system and central nervous system.

Weisenberg Volunteer Fire Department is holding a Meat Pie Sale. Pies are homemade by Zook's Homemade Chicken Pies of Ronks, PA. Nine-inch pies are $12 and six-inch pies are $7, according to the department's website. Pies are available with chicken, sausage or beef. The order deadline is Monday, Aug. 25, the website said. Orders will be available for pickup from 4:30-6 p.m. on Sept. 11 at the volunteer fire company at 2500 Golden Key Road, Kutztown. For more information or to place an order, call Pat Hoffman at 610-285-2488.

Burglars stole a large amount of cash from Frederick's meat market in Richland Township late Saturday night or early Sunday morning. State police at Dublin said once the burglars got inside the building in the 200 block of Station Road, they removed a padlock from an inside set of doors to gain access to the rest of the building, and stole the cash. Anyone with information about the break-in, which occurred between 10 p.m. Saturday and 2 a.m. Sunday, can contact state police at Dublin at 215-249-9191.

There's nothing like a juicy steak or burger on the grill on a super summer evening. If someone drops by your house and offers you a special on fresh meat, you'd better grill them about where it came from because they could be con artists looking to make you their main course. The Better Business Bureau is warning about meat-selling scams. It says it gets reports every summer from people who bought meat from door-to-door salesmen and were dissatisfied with the quality or even claim to have gotten food poisoning.

I did something unusual on Sept. 23 (some would call it strange). I counted the restaurant advertisements in the GoGuide of The Morning Call. Not only that, I counted those that offered meat dishes of some sort. I did this to make a point — actually several points. What I found were 36 restaurant ads, 25 of which referred to a meat offering. A further breakdown to emphasize the point: There were 19 mentions of beef, 15 of chicken, 12 of fish or shellfish, 11 of pork, three of veal, six others and one of vegetables.

DICKSON CITY, Pa. (AP) — A bag of stolen cold cuts has landed a northeastern Pennsylvania man in the cooler. Police say Leonard Taylor broke into a Dickson City deli, made himself a sandwich then took off with a bag of cold cuts and cash on Thursday. Officers say they saw an intoxicated Taylor sitting on the steps of a demolished home and counting money. Police say he claimed he'd been asked to hold the bag of deli meat by a couple who also bummed a cigarette from him. The Times-Tribune of Scranton (http://bit.ly/QqRNQN )

Anthony Campanell tried everything he could think of Friday to finish eating the massive pile of beef, cheese and bacon that lay on his plate. He chomped on a couple of french fries to change the flavor in his mouth, stood up from the table to try to make more room in his stomach and even tugged on his belt buckle to move it over a few notches. But about 20 minutes after he began eating, Campanell, of Allentown, walked away from the table in defeat. "I knew the burger was just going to overpower me," he said, conquered.

A Lower Macungie Township woman attacked her elderly mother with a meat-tenderizing mallet Monday morning, sending her to the hospital with serious head injuries, police said. Judith Kauffman Savadelis, 55, of 2507 Ludwig Court, repeatedly hit her mother, Teresa Kauffman, 79, of Temple, Berks County, on her head and other parts of her body, state police at Fogelsville said. Savadelis was charged with attempted homicide. Kauffman was taken by ambulance to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest, where she was in critical condition Monday night in the hospital's intensive care unit.

Ahart's Market in Allentown has recalled about 30 trays of ground beef and pork after health officials discovered plastic foam ground into the meat. City health officials responded to complaints of blue particles found in meat purchased from the market at 1421 Allen St. After an investigation, officials determined the particles were from a plastic foam tray that had been accidentally ground up with the meat. Ahart's employees immediately removed the meat from the shelves and have advised customers to examine all ground beef, ground round, ground chuck, ground sirloin, ground pork or meatloaf mix purchased from the store.

The May 23 article, "Where's the beef?" implies a "strong like bull" type of food to eat. Yet, the very animal providing this food will never eat meat in its lifetime. An elephant and many other large animals grow very large and powerful but never consume meat. The human animal doesn't have to ask "Where's the beef?" when there are healthier foods for us to eat, enjoy and grow! Elsie Steckel Allentown

Take a restaurant with a past and mix in some good homestyle, homemade food. You've got a recipe for an eatery that feels more like a longtime neighbor than a business. That's the story of Bethlehem's Mayflower Luncheonette. This small breakfast and lunch spot owned by Bill and Candi Hatzinikolaou for nearly seven years has been a restaurant since the 1950s - and its neon pink booths and green tables prove it. The eclectic retro decor includes beige wallpaper panels with line drawings of forest scenes and a ship's wheel clock surrounded by prints of old ships.

An employee at the Sam's Club along Route 22 near Airport Road wrestled with a co-worker in the meat department Thursday and nearly plunged a knife into the co-worker's chest, according to court records. Jason C. Beers Jr., 20, of Whitehall Township sliced his finger when his co-worker pushed the knife away, court records say. Beers was charged with aggravated assault and simple assault for starting the fight, police said. According to a criminal complaint: State police at Bethlehem were called at 6:52 p.m. Thursday by officials with Sam's Club at 901 Airport Center Drive, Hanover Township, Lehigh County.

Hatfield Quality Meats named official bacon of the IronPigs The Lehigh Valley IronPigs recently announced that Hatfield Quality Meats has become the official bacon of the team. Hatfield will offer fan favorites like bacon, pulled pork, Ribeez and sausage at the stadium's concession stands. "It's the perfect fit," said John Masotta, marketing director at Hatfield Quality Meats. "We bring the irresistible sizzle and the IronPigs bring excitement and a big-league feel. It's a win-win for the fans.

I talked to a man named Tex Wells who is preparing for a big showdown, but it's not at high noon and it's not at the OK Corral or in Dodge City or Tombstone or anything like that. It's at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, in the North Whitehall Township Municipal Building. And it's a zoning issue. But don't let that put you off, friends. Wells is nothing if not colorful, and he has a lot of friends in the community who are worried that he will have to close down his business, Tex's Smokin' Bar-B-Q, after six years.

Nestle USA has issued a voluntary recall of two varieties of its Philly Steak and Cheese Hot Pockets because they may contain diseased meat that has already been recalled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The two brands, which were distributed nationwide, are Hot Pockets Philly Steak and Cheese in three different pack sizes and Hot Pockets Croissant Crust Philly Steak and Cheese in the two pack box. The exact batch codes can be found in the company's press release . The USDA recalled more than 8.7 million million pounds of meat from Rancho Feeding Corporation because it "processed diseased and unsound animals and carried out these activities without the benefit or full benefit of federal inspection.

Anthony Campanell tried everything he could think of Friday to finish eating the massive pile of beef, cheese and bacon that lay on his plate. He chomped on a couple of french fries to change the flavor in his mouth, stood up from the table to try to make more room in his stomach and even tugged on his belt buckle to move it over a few notches. But about 20 minutes after he began eating, Campanell, of Allentown, walked away from the table in defeat. "I knew the burger was just going to overpower me," he said, conquered.

It looks as if this dog is waiting to meet someone. But a look behind the door would show that the pooch is on the threshold of a meat market in Coaldale, so his longing gaze might indicate more than a desire for socialization.

Among the needy diners at the CityTeam Ministries in the city of Chester, it has become a menu favorite. "Some classify it as the best burger they've ever had," said James Kuhn, executive chef at the Delaware County soup kitchen and shelter, "and it's a lot healthier and leaner than beef. " The burger is the product of donated deer meat, most of it from Lower Merion, Montgomery County, which has undertaken annual culls to prune the herd. Annually in Pennsylvania, as many as 5,000 deer -- each providing enough ground meat for about 200 meals -- are donated by governments and hunters, according to Hunters for the Harvest, or HSH, the statewide group that coordinates the donations.

Continental Specialty Meats is moving across the Delaware River, bringing 26 jobs to the Lehigh Valley. The company, a meat and delicatessen processor, announced Thursday it will move from its current facility in Ridgefield, N.J., to Forks Township, where it recently purchased an 18,225-square-foot facility. Pennsylvania has "been welcoming and helpful, which has helped to lessen the stress of building a new plant," Continental Specialty Meats President Kenneth Mayer said in a news release.